Combined table and ironing board



Sept. 25, 1951 A. SEALY 2,568,830

Y COMBINED TABLE AND IRONING BOARD Filed June 1, 1948 2 Sheets-sheet 1 'fig .1'

ATTORNEYS sept. 2s, 1951 Y A. SEALY COMBINED TABLE AND IRONING BOARD 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June l, 1948 2z z5 211715 za INVENTOR.

SEAL y ATTF/VEVJ Patented Sept. '25, 1951 UNITED STATES f PATEN T :oFFjlcE i COMBINED TABLE AND .-IRoNING BOARD v n V.Alonza Sealy, ew York, N. Y. 1 f j V A .Appli-cation June `1, 1948,seria.1-.No. 30.355

1 My :invention :relates -to ironing boards, and .more particularly Yto V'such .boards as are adapted to Ybe :combined with a `table-or like supporting means, whereby.- the ironing boa-rd is movable `to and .from a vconcealed and .inoperative position and aan operative position. Y

I With the foregoing .in View, an -object vof my invention is to :providefan improved ironing board and support for 'the fsame.- v

fl A further object .is ;to provide an improved means .fformounting'a'n ironing 'board on a vsupport for the same, together with improved means for moving the ironing board to .and from the retractedfand concealed position and Yan'advanced and operative position. f

A further object is .to `provide fasupport 4includling a service top, laterally-movable -means carried by the support vand including a forward end movable .to and' from Aa concealed position below the top and an advanced position :laterally outwardly of the top, said movable means :including means mounting :an .ironing board for upward movement to and :from a lowered position below lsaid top and a raised positionfabove said top.

Other objects :and advantages reside in the particular structureof the invention, the v:struc-- ture of the elementsthereof, c'ombination and arrangement of such elements, and will be readily understood by kthose 'skilled in' the :art uponref erence'to thea'ttach'ed drawing -in connection with ethe A.following specification, wherein the invention i'sshown, described and claimed.

In the drawings:

'Figure .1 is a perspective view showing the ironing boardxaccording `to Athe Vinvention in an 'operative position vrelative to its support; Figure 2 is la plan View of the ironing .board s'howing'the same in the retracted position relaftive to the vvsupporirparts .of Athe vsupport being broken away .and shown in vhorizontal section; Figure 3 isa 'transverse 'vertical sectional View Ataken.substantially on the ,planeof the line A3---3 of Eigure 2, buttshowing 'the :parts in the operative position;4

.Eigurefl is va transverse vertical sectional'view taken substantially on fthe `plane 'of the line fil-#2l yof Figure 3;

fFigure 5 is Aan enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view taken' substantiallyV on the `plane 'ofthe .line'E-E of Figure '4;-

Flligure is fa .fragmentary kperspective view on 'en enlarged scalesh'owing zan element-of :the inweilton Vapart from the 'rest of thestructure. Referring `specifically to 'the drawing-s, wherein like reference characters have been-used throughreafirma` (01; 313-115) l out .the .several views .to .designate .like parts,` .IVD

designates generally. a .suitable .support for the ironing board according-to .the invention.. As shown, lthe support l 0 may .comprise .a table supported by one .or more vertical legs '-l.|, and which includes aservice top .I-2 Xed to the -upper -ends of the .legsf- The .table lI [I mayinclude side trame members -or .rails 13,. a .rear Vframe .member or rail Il! anda front frame member .or rail l5 connecting said .legs together. -The front .frame member I5 .is-.formed with an .opening therein. The -framemembers l3, l 4.and. l5lmay be spanned by a Vfloor .IB in downwardly-spaced relation to the top I2., whereby to provide a closed .spa-oe beow the top. .As so far described, ythestructure of VVthe .support l0 is .conventional .and .forms .no part-of `the invention. v

The opening in the front frame member. .l5 is closed `by a .suitable .closure .l1 V.hinged .to the support I0 `byany suitable hinges I8. The closure -I'l may havethe .conventional .handle .or 'pull :i9 .Xed-to the outer 'surface thereof, and the upperedge .may be .formed with a latch Vde- -tent '20 adapted to cooperate with .anysuitable latch, `not shown, carriedby the under surface Aof the top `I.2 to retain the .closure Il in closed position. As is .readily .apparent .from .Figures l ,and 3, the closure. l1 :is swingable `trom a closed posi-tion downwardly -to an open position substantially hbelow the plane vof the .lower :edge of the opening formed -in the `frame .member t5. The upper surface of thefloor I6 .is provided with :a pair of .laterally-spaced forwardly-extending .rails or guide bars `2| .providing a .slidewayfora runner `23 formed on the. bottomv of a utility ldrawer 22. The drawer 2-2..may .be provided with a conventionalpull '24 :on the forward wall -therefof. As is. readily .apparent .from Figure L4, the :drawer -22 .is..substantially .narrower tha-n vthe opening tin: the fflront framefmember l5, whereby .to `provide spaces .laterally outwardly of .each .side of the drawer.

A base rmember orv carriage .for the .ironing board is carried by the support .l0 below the .top

42 and :is Amovable substantially .horizontally of the .support to and from an .advanced vposition outwardly of the top .and a 'retracted position below the top. Such base member or carriage may Vcomprise a transverse slide or .plate 25 having its ends slidable in slideway-providinggrooves 26 .formed in the inner. surfacesy of vthe side frame members 1.3. The base member may also include -a vpair -of laterally-.spaced runners 21 which vare `slidable on rail-providing portions of the opening l5 in the front framel member vI5 on either :vre "u g tracted below the top I2 to an inoperative position. The forward end of the base member is formed with at least one vertically or upwardlydirected slideway or slot now to be described. In

the embodiment shown, there is a vertically or upwardly-directed slideway or slot formed in the forward end of each runner 21. g ways or slots 30 are elongated and extend longitudinally of the runners 21 in the'forwa'rd'ends thereof. A pair of upwardly-directed legs 3I,

which arepreferably shaped to be complementary to the slots 30, are upwardly-slidable in the slots from a lowered position with the upper ends of the legs below the top I2 of the support II) and an elevated position with the upper ends of the legs positioned above the top I2. ironing board 3'2 is fixed to the upper ends of the legs 3I and spans the runners 21. Guide members 33 depend from the ironing board 32 in laterally inwardly-spaced relation to the legs 3l and slidably engage the inner surfaces of the runners 21. Such guide members 33 may be provided with parallel `vertical slots 34 which engage headed stop members 35 to provide limit stops for upward movement of the ironing board 32 and legs,3I. Likewisethe guidenmembers 33 'cooperate with the legs 3| and theY vertical guideways 30 to provide a rm support forrthe ironing board 32 when the same the elevated position.

` Latch means are provided to lock the legs 3I :and ironing board 32 in the elevated position. Such latch means is best illustrated in Figure 6, and comprises an elongated block 40 which is lslidable in a forwardly-directed slideway 4I formed in each of the runners 21. 'Ihe block 40 is formed with an upwardly-directed surface 42 Vwhich is complementary to the lower end edge of the leg 3I,-whereby to provide a firm seat for such lower end edge of the leg, as will appear presently. Each block 40 is longitudinally bored, as at 44, for the sliding reception of a stem or pin '43 which extends longitudinally of each runner 2,1. Thus, each stem 43 provides a runner for each block 40. The rear ends of the stems 43 Vextend through suitable bosses 45 carried by the runners 21 and may be detachably secured to such bosses in any suitable manner, as by the nuts 46. A coil spring 41 surrounds each stem 4 3 between each boss 45 and the inner end of each lblock 40. If necessary, a washer 48 may be interposed between the forward end of the spring 41 and the inner end of each block 40. Each runner 21 is provided with upwardly-directed rail-providing surfaces 49 and 50 that slidably engage corresponding and complementary under surfaces of each block 40 to support the same during sliding movement, each block 4I) being generally Z-shaped in transverse cross-section, Figure 4.

Y To operate the device, the closure I1 is first opened and the base member for the ironing board is pulled to the forwardly-extended position by means of the pulls 28. In this connection, it should be noted that the slide '25 includes opposite end portions which extend laterally be.- hind the forward legs II, whereby to engage Such slide- A suitable l the rear surfaces thereof and provide limit stops limiting forward movement of the base member. This structure is readily seen in Figures 3 and 4, as well as Figure 2. 'Ihe ironing board 32 is now clear of the top I2 and may be raised from the broken line position, Figure 3,' to the full line position. When the lower ends of the legs 3I of the ironing board reach the elevated or full line positionof Figure 3, the springs 41 project the latches 40 forwardly below the bottom edges of such legs. The complementary surfaces 42 and bottom end edges of the legs 3| provide a firm base for the ironing board to prevent wobbling of the same in cooperation with the vertical guideway and depending guide member 33 aforesaid. As best seen in Figures 1 and 6, each latch 40 includes aportion extending laterally out- Wardly of the runners 21 and designated by the reference character 5I... Such portions ,5I provide finger grips when it is desired to move the ironing board'to the lowered position. Thus, it is only necessary to grasp the portions 5I by the hands and move the same and said latches rearwardly until'the supporting surfaces 42 thereof clear the bottom end edges of the legs 3|. Thereafter, the ironing board 32 and the legs 3| will drop by gravity to the vlowered position and the base member may then be slid inwardly to the retracted position and the closure I1 closed. The drawer 22 previously described comprises a convenient storage place for ironing accessories, such as the iron, its stand and other appurtenances thereto.

While I have shown and described what is now thought to be a preferred embodiment of the invention, itis to be understood that the same is susceptible of other forms and expressions. Consequently, I do not limit myself to the precise structure shown` and described hereinabove except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

l. An ironing board attachment for a table having a top and a pair of laterally spaced Vsubstantially parallel rails disposed below the top and provided in their inner faces with opposed grooves, the attachment comprising a pair of longitudinally shiftable connected runners disposed beneath the top of the table and between the rails thereof and including parts slidably engaging within the grooves of the rails, therunners being provided near their forward ends with` substantially vertical transverse openings, the tops of the runners having longitudinal recesses forming slideways which lead into the suibstantially'vertical openings of the runners, an ironing board arranged adjacent to the forward ends of the runners and above the Yrunners and including spaced depending legs slidably engaging in the substantially vertical openings of the runners, and spring pressed latch blocks slidably mounted within the slideways of the runners and biased longitudinally forwardly so that they project into the substantially vertical openings of the runners and beneath the depending Ylegs of the ironing board to releasably hold the ironing board in a raised position.

2. In an ironing board attachment, a support including laterally spaced substantially hori- Zontal rails, a longitudinally shiftable carriage slidably mounted upon the rails and provided near its forward end with a substantially vertical opening, the carriage being provided in its top with a substantially horizontal longitudinal recess forming a slideway leading into the substantially verticalv opening, an ironing board disably mounted upon the rails and provided near its forward end with a substantially vertical opening, the carriage being provided in its top with a substantially horizontal longitudinal recess forming a slideway which intersects the substantially vertical opening of the carriage, an ironing board disposed above the top of the carriage and including a depending leg slidably engaging within said substantially vertical opening, a longitudinally shiftable latch block slidably mounted within the slideway of the carriage, a spring connected with the latch block for shifting it longtudinally forwardly and into the substantially vertical opening below the depending leg for releasably holding the leg elevated, the latch block being retraotible within the slideway and out of the substantially vertical opening so that the depending leg may move downwardly within the substantially vertical opening, and a substantially vertical guide device connected with the ironing board and with the carriage for limiting the upward movement of the ironing board.

4. The combination with a table including a top, of a pair of laterally spaced substantially horizontal rails mounted upon the table beneath the top, a longitudinally shiftable carriage arranged below the top of the table and between the rails and slidably mounted upon the rails, the carriage including a pair of laterally spaced substantially horizontal elongated runners provided near their forward ends with aligned substantially vertical openings extending therethrough, the runners being provided in their tops with substantially horizontal longitudinal recesses forming slideways, the forward ends of the slideways leading into the substantially vertical openings of the runners, a vertically shiftable ironing board arranged adjacent to the forward ends of the runners and above the runners and including spaced depending legs slidably engaging within the substantially vertical openings of the runners, spring pressed latch members slidably mounted within the slideways of the runners and biased longitudinally forwardly and into the substantially vertical openings for engagement beneath the depending legs of the ironing board to releasably hold the ironing board in an elevated position, the latch members being retractible so that the ironing board may be lowered to an elevation below the table top, and guide means connecting the ironing board and runners for limiting the upward movement of the ironing board.

ALONZA SEALY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,71,427 Frazzano July 2, 1929 2,106,422 Dahl Jan. 25, 1938 

